But what really made an impact was when I came across Jesus. No one on the entire spectrum of the human race, from the most spiritual to the atheist, can remain indifferent to him. You cannot help but like him – his wisdom, compassion, and love. Every time I read Jesus’ words and learned about his deeds, I wanted more. He was the Jesus I never knew.

Can Jewish people read the New Testament? Discover why the New Testament draws from Hebrew Scripture, the Jewish Bible. Read about why a rabbi who considered the New Testament to be anti-Semitic changed his mind.

He asked if I wanted to pray. I replied, “Sure, where’s the prayer book?” “You don’t need one,” he explained. “Just talk to God from your heart.” I folded my arms across my chest, looked upwards, and said, “God, I don’t know who You are. But I’m tired of doing it by myself, so You have a go.”

As a young rabbi, Isaac Lichtenstein (1825–1908) reprimanded a young man for showing him a Bible containing a New Testament, took the book from him, and put it on a corner shelf. Thirty years later Lichtenstein opened the book… and it changed his life.

HAVURAH: The Jewish Annotated New Testament has made quite a splash in some circles. What were your expectations as co-editor in terms of its reception and impact among Jews and Christians? Have those expectations been met so far? AMY-JILL LEVINE: Rather than thinking...

A person is either Jewish or not Jewish, and few actually believe that Paul was not. Hyam Maccoby is virtually alone in his opinion that Paul was a gentile. 1 However, if we can speak of the extent to which one demonstrates Jewish identity as that person’s...

Paul has been charged with deceit as he proclaimed the message of Yeshua. In 1 Corinthians 9:20-22, he wrote: To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those...

The New Testament–which simply means New Covenant–needs to be accepted for what it is, a Jewish book written almost entirely by Jewish people. Most of the concepts in the New Testament cannot be understood apart from their background in the Hebrew Bible....

The popular myth that Paul was deceptive is expressed by writers such as Gerald Sigal, Michoel Drazin, and Beth Moshe: In his overriding desire to convert the masses to his beliefs, Paul is guided by the dubious assumption that the end justifies the means…The...

(in German; Leipzig, 1895). Out of print, but available at some large libraries or through inter-library loan. One of the most intriguing eras in Messianic Jewish history is the 19th century, and one of its more fascinating characters was Jehiel Lichtenstein...

If you said to the average Christian, Isn’t it wonderful how God extends his grace to people in the New Testament?” you would probably get an immediate affirmation of, “Yes, it is!” But if you said to the same person, “Isn’t it...

I climbed into the hardwood seat, which was padded with a green velvet cushion. Then I tilted my head back ’til I could feel the strain in my neck. This was the best way to view the immense beauty of our synagogue. I was 5 years old, and fascinated by the vast...

As I grew up, every Friday night my family would gather about the table. Mother lit the Sabbath candles. It was a special tradition, not for religious reasons, but because it was time we spent together. My brother and I learned of the holidays and traditions through...

In the past several decades, a particular program of reclamation has been undertaken by the Jewish people. It does not involve the rejuvenation of the land, nor the replanting of trees. Instead, it is the reclamation of one whom many regard as Israel’s greatest...

I was no longer able to discount the New Testament as “someone else’s religion,” for it spoke directly to the dry and barren areas of need in my life. My animosity toward Jesus had been replaced with respect, then love, and finally faith.